Container orienting apparatus is old in the art, however, that shown herein is considered to provide a less complex and more reliable piece of equipment than has heretofore been provided for this purpose and especially for processing containers at a very rapid rate without damage thereto.
As herein illustrated the apparatus is designed to orient containers which have a longer dimension in one direction than in a direction at right angles thereto so that they have broad sides and narrow ends and comprises means for moving the containers standing upright along predetermined path which constrains the containers to move along in single file with their sides parallel to the direction of movement and their ends transverse thereto and at a predetermined place along said path means for rotating such of the containers as necessary to arrange all of the containers traveling along said path with corresponding sides facing in the same direction. The constraining means comprises a guide rail along one side of the path and a screw along the other side of the path which defines a narrow passage along which the containers move single file. The screw operates to advance the containers at a predetermined spacing. There are gaps in the guide rail and the screw at said predetermined place providing an open space within which the containers are free of constraint and the means for rotating the containers is located along this space for effecting rotation of the containers to reverse their positions and includes means for pivotally engaging the upper ends of the containers to prevent lateral displacement during their rotation. The means for advancing the containers is a conveyor having a horizontal run upon which the containers stand upright and above the container conveyor there is a second conveyor on which there are mounted pivot pins at a spacing corresponding to the spacing of the containers on the container conveyor which are moved into engagement with the upper ends of the containers as the latter approach the space and are moved out of engagement with the upper ends of the containers as the latter leave the space. The pivot pins operate to hold a container down on the container conveyor and prevent lateral movement while permitting rotation about their vertical axis and have pointed ends to facilitate entry into the open ends of the containers. The means for effecting rotation of the containers at the space comprise a ram at one side of the conveyor arranged to be moved in reciprocation transversely of the conveyor and by engagement with a portion of a container rearwardly of its axis of rotation to initiate rotation of the container to a position transversely of the conveyor in which a portion of the container forwardly of its axis of rotation is disposed in a position to be intercepted by the guide rail at the one side of the space as the container continues to move forwardly along the space. Engagement of the container forwardly of its axis of rotation with the gudie rail effects displacement about the axis of rotation to a position rearwardly of the axis of rotation and simultaneously moves the portion rearwardly of the axis of rotation forwardly thereof. An inclined guide is arranged at the opposite side of the conveyor in a position to receive the forwardly disposed trailing side of the container and rotate it into alignment with the center line of the path along which the container is traveling so that it re-enters the passage between the guide rail and the screw. There is control means including a sensing device in the form of a photoelectric scanner which by detecting a container approaching the space supplies air to an air cylinder for moving the ram transversely of the conveyor.